HOW TO INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCE YOUR WORKLOAD

Ever since I posted my 7 Signs Your Small Business Could Use a Virtual Assistant blog, my inbox has been flooded with questions from small business owners and solopreneurs. So what’s the number one question on their minds? Small business owners and solopreneurs are consistently asking, “how can a virtual assistant help me to increase my productivity while reducing my workload?”

The key to increasing your productivity is to delegate non-income producing activities that are taking up the majority of your time. A virtual assistant is a wonderful resource that provides you with the support you need to increase your productivity, and profits because you are spending more time on the activities that make you money. Here are some ways to increase your productivity and reduce your work load.

3 Services and Solutions that Your Virtual Assistant* Can Take On:

Administrative – this is by far, the most popular service area that many small business owners and solopreneurs inquire about. Administrative duties are a part of every business, no matter how small or large your operation. That said, spending too much time on administrative duties and not enough time on your income producing activities can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to your profit margins. A virtual assistant helps to ease the burden, and reduce your workload by taking on the administrative tasks which must be completed so that your business runs smoothly.

Marketing – it’s critical that your company’s marketing efforts are executed in an efficient manner and that all materials that go out are branded in your company’s signature voice and style. This extends beyond print marketing materials and is most often seen with social media marketing, website, and blog updates, to provide you with consistent brand messaging across all platforms.

Consulting – is another popular service area. My Warning: Inefficient Administrative Systems May Be Hurting Your Bottom Linepost, was one of our most popular blog entries amongst our small business and solopreneurs readers. As a consultant, a virtual assistant can assist you with auditing your existing administrative systems to identify areas of need and make suggestions to increase the efficiency. In addition to simply making suggestions, they can train your existing administrative staff to bring them up to speed with best practices.

*Please note that not all Virtual Assistants bear the same skill sets and it’s important that you find a suitable match to your needs. The service areas discussed in this blog, reflect my industry experience and skillset and are in no way representative of other virtual assistants.

WHAT IS A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is typically a self-employed administrator and or executive admin professional who works remotely, usually from home, providing general administration. Most VA's also offer specialized areas of expertise like marketing, accounting, customer care, consulting, concierge services, etc. Some focus on specific industries as well.

Virtual Assistants are self-employed, so you do not have to worry about taxes, insurance and other overhead costs associated with having an in-house administrator. Also, there is no wasted money with downtime or trying to fill your administrator’s time. Virtual Assistants can be used on a per project basis or on an ongoing basis to outsource some of the time-consuming tasks so you can focus on what you need or want to. They typically work on a contract basis and can communicate via a number of resources such as email, conference/phone calls and virtual workspaces.